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ten
Delaney leaned against the building, next to the front door, ankles crossed, displaying a set of long, muscled legs that made Tabitha feel scrawny. Her upper body was even more impressive in a crop top with no sleeves—biceps that were cut in all the right ways and abs for days. She was scrolling on her cell phone, oblivious to the world around her. Or so it appeared.
“Hey, Steele,” she said, without looking up, as Tabitha and Trinity approached. Then she put her phone away and met Tabitha’s eyes. “You made it.”
Tabitha had a sudden memory of Delaney, strong and in charge, her leveling gaze going deep into Tabitha’s soul, her steady hand on Tabitha’s shoulder while Tabitha stared down at her own blood-covered hands. “What’s your name?” Delaney’s voice had been close to her ear. “Your name?”
“Steele,”she’d whispered.
“Okay, Steele. Keep the pressure.” Delaney had taken her hands and pressed them back on Captain Dorsey’s leg, which had felt slick, like oil. “Don’t let go.”
Tabitha shook the memory away and forced a smile. “I made it,” she agreed.
“Cool.” Delaney glanced down at Trinity and gave a soft smile. “Ready?” She tilted her head toward the gym.
“Yes.” No. But she had to.
“You can do this.” Delaney held the door open for them.
The gym was as full as it had been the last time Tabitha visited, with about a dozen people near the whiteboard, waiting for the class to start, and another dozen in a separate attached room, being schooled in something involving barbells. Rhett, the owner, held a PVC pipe and was calling out instructions.
“You’re back!” Rhett’s redheaded wife—or had Delaney said girlfriend—appeared in front of them, smiling. “Tabitha, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Constance.” She reminded her. “Or, everyone around here calls me Red. Just in case you forgot.”
“I like Constance.”
“You’d be the first. Or maybe the second. I’m assuming my mom liked it.” Constance smiled. Her gaze shifted. “Hey, Delaney. Good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too, Red.” Delaney waved as she walked over to stow her motorcycle helmet and bag in the cubbies.
“Since you filled out the waiver last time you visited, you’re all set to go,” Constance said. “First session is free, to see if you like it here. Then we’ll go from there.”
Tabitha smiled. There was something about Constance that made the air easier to breathe, not so thick and difficult to draw in. Tabitha’s heart loosened up in her chest and her jaw unclenched. She got Trinity settled in the agreed upon spot that kept her close but also safe from the barbells and other gym equipment that got slung around. Trinity was right next to Humphrey, who raised his head and regarded her with blue-tinted eyes. He sniffed the air a little bit, then settled back down on his dog bed with a puff of his jowls.
“He likes her,” Constance said with a grin.
Tabitha smiled, feeling more relaxed the longer she spent in this gym. The energy was high, which would typically put her on edge, but here it was different. Here, the energy allowed you to get lost, not suffocated. Constance led her over to a large whiteboard, where a young, muscular woman with a nose piercing called out to get everyone’s attention. Her hair was done in space puffs and she wore a shirt with Black Girl Magic printed across the front. Tabitha had done high intensity group fitness many times but hadn’t seriously worked out in at least a year and a half. Even today’s simple chipper of jumping rope, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and wall balls looked intimidating.
Delaney fell in just as the coach, who introduced herself as Zoe, started explaining the workout for the day. Delaney gave Tabitha a reassuring shoulder pat but Tabitha could tell she was distracted by something. She kept checking her phone and a shadow of worry tinged her every move. Tabitha wanted to say something but wasn’t sure Delaney would appreciate the interest. In all honesty, Tabitha just hoped she kept her shit together without another grocery store episode. One minute she was picking out apples for Auntie El’s famous pie and the next she was on the floor, heart pounding, covered in flop sweat, everyone staring.
But her first experience at Semper Fit reminded her why she loved the high intensity and closeness of a group. For the next hour she was so busy trying to survive physically, so busy trying to just breathe, she had no time to break down mentally. Yeah, it was tough, and her heart and lungs begged her to quit, but when Tabitha finished her last rep and lay in a puddle on the floor, near the open bay in hopes of catching a breeze over her sweaty body, a feeling of calm washed over her that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Delaney stood over her, fist extended. Tabitha bumped it. “How was that, kiddo?”
Tabitha closed her eyes, mostly to block out the fact that Delaney wasn’t even sweating, and smiled. “I forgot how much I like to have my ass handed to me.”
“That’s my girl.”
Tabitha lay there awhile longer, eyes closed, enjoying the breeze as it dried the sweat on her clammy skin. Her mind was a clean slate—at least for now. She was going to bask in that for as long as she could. After some time had passed, Tabitha sensed a presence over her. Assuming Delaney had come back to check on her, she extended her hand.
The firm grasp that hauled her to her feet in one quick motion shocked Tabitha’s eyes open. She stood facing a well-built man with beachy blond hair and the kind of classic good looks that either got taken for granted, or got dismissed as beingtoogood-looking. His grin was wide as the blue sky, the high energy that lit him up floating all around, inviting everyone in for a party. “New girl,” he said, his voice laced with unexpected affection. “You crushed the hell outta that workout.”
Tabitha stammered something, hating herself as the words came out as nonsense. This kind of energy always took her off guard, crashing into her like a Mack truck. Guys as good-looking as him never wasted their time on a quiet, introverted, quirky thing like Tabitha.
“Hey, don’t be modest,” he said, the admiration thick, his gaze drinking her in like she was the postworkout recovery beverage.
